Behind The Scenes: Sunday Morning Ride (2011). Model: Cynthia Schmidt. Horse wrangler: Jewel Emery. Horse: Duke.
Working with horses is a good reminder of why planning photoshoots well in advance is important and why no detail is too small to let go unattended. With sufficient time and care, though, they can take incredible photographs. The same can be said of people on occasion.
[one_half padding=”4px 8px 0 2px”]I like horses. I still remember my first pony ride as a tot. I still remember struggling to try and carry the saddle by myself. I still remember the thrill of jumping gates. Growing up in rural areas, horses were frequently part of our lives and the love and respect I have for them continues. Horses are bright, intelligent, and noble regardless of age or pedigree. Occasionally ornery, they are often great hams in front of a camera and even show jealousy if one gets more lens time than another. They also tend to be great judges of human character and won’t tolerate someone they don’t like.
Having a horse in a photograph almost always makes for a great image, but those pictures don’t just happen by showing up at a ranch one morning and asking to borrow a horse. Most city-raised people don’t know how to ride, or even how to behave around a horse, which can be a bit dangerous. So, when planning to work with horses we have to take plenty of time, choose our models carefully, and take extra precautions such as giving the horse and the model a little time to get to know each other before taking the pictures that count.
Today’s picture is one such bonding moment between Duke and Cynthia. Duke’s owner can just barely be seen on his right side, adjusting the stirrup for Cynthia’s long legs. It was fairly early on a Sunday morning, Cynthia hadn’t ridden in a while, and I’m not sure Duke was all that crazy about having someone on his back at this particular hour. Everything went quite well except for this one tentative moment when Duke moved a little unexpectedly, catching Cynthia by surprise. Very shortly thereafter, they were riding around, getting to know each other, and having a good time.[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”4px 2px 0 8px”]We arrived even earlier the next week and fog hugged the pasture as Cynthia mounted Duke and took off. He pranced and trotted beautifully, responding well to her instructions. One of my favorite shots from the day is where Duke appears to be sticking his tongue out at me as he trots my direction. After playing in the field for a while, Cynthia changed clothes and Duke proceeded to stand beautifully still as she laid across his bare back for a number of images. Something tells me that Duke thought he was the focus on the pictures and the girl was just decoration.
I should probably take a moment to insert a cautionary note here. Not every horse is as cooperative as Duke. In fact, when it comes to editorial style photographs, one is almost always better off with an older horse who is accustomed to being ridden by a number of people. Younger, more high-spirited horses are likely to be a bit temperamental about who is on their back; they need strong, experienced riders who know how to take charge and aren’t intimidated by a horse’s dominant personality. Listen carefully to the advice of a horse’s owner and/or wrangler. I’ve never had anyone hurt while taking pictures around horses, but the danger is definitely there.
Pictures circulating in Las Vegas this week show an intimidating Cynthia in her football uniform, promoting that city’s LFL team; she looks as tough and dominating as she is beautiful. So, this seemed like the perfect time to pull out a picture of the one moment, that split second, where she might have been a wee bit anxious. Obviously, her confidence was back by the time we took the pictures below, but we’ll always remember that one moment and the horse that made it possible.[/one_half_last]
Morning Update: 08/08/24
Something feels off this morning, though I’m clueless as to what it might be. Yesterday was largely uneventful. Kids went to school and came home without issue. G had his violin lesson. We fixed dinner but only the kids ate as Kat and I were both feeling nauseous. Bedtime came early (again) and I didn’t hear anyone up during the night. After such an uneventful day, I’m sitting here wondering where today’s big news might drop.
But even the news is a bit off this morning. We’ve been hearing for years about the various dangers of mylar balloons, right? Yesterday, one caused a boil water alert in New Orleans after intersecting with a power line. The dip in power caused four water pumps to turn off. Yet, I’m still not seeing any outrage or movements to ban mylar balloons. I guess we’re just going to accept this as “one of those things.”
Where there is outrage is the UK. After days of racist right-wing protests and violence, people are starting to call bullshit and confront the protesters. It’s about damn time. Police haven’t had any effect on the protests at all. When it comes to flagrant character flaws such as racism and bigotry, perhaps having your neighbors in your face is a better solution than policing. We’ll see.
Oklahoma never fails to disappoint in the arena of strange news. This time, a dog chomping on a lithium-ion battery sparked a serious house fire in Oklahoma, footage taken from the home shows, as the dog bit down and sparks began to shoot from the battery. (AP video: Javier Arciga) This highlights two critical issues. 1. Dogs will eat anything, so stop leaving shit lying around. 2. Lithium batteries, even those that seem “dead,” are fucking dangerous! Treat them accordingly.
Stocks are slipping again this morning, mostly in the tech sector. Between you and me, I expect this volatility to continue until the Fed cuts rates, which may not happen until September. The test is whether investors have the stomach to wait out the ride.
Talk about bad luck. Imagine getting to go into space, two weeks about the International Space Station. The capsule that got you there (barely) breaks and your trip is extended to 30 days. Whee! But now… NASA says it’s looking more like they’re going to be there until FEBRUARY 2025! They’ll most likely be coming back on a SpaceX rocket. Who knows what the fuck will happen to the Boeing mess that now feels like a metaphor for the entire company’s performance.
Bad luck also hit Swifties hoping to see their idol in Vienna as three shows there were canceled because of a terror threat. Two have been arrested and Austrian officials claim one of the men, a 19-year-old, may have ties to the Islamic State. If you think threats against music venues are growing, you’re not wrong. The past decade has seen a frightening escalation in attacks, including 140 killed in Moscow this past March, and 260 killed at a music festival in Israel on October 7, sparking the current war.
Interestingly enough, US abortion numbers, which had been in decline, have risen slightly since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Expect those numbers to escalate as more women grow fearful of antiquated religiously-fueled laws that endanger their well-being. At the same time, however, more abortion providers are scaling back. Planned Parenthood in Manhattan says it will stop providing the service after 20 weeks. All the more reason for women to make this election all about them, their rights, and their autonomy.
Speaking of the election, it was predictable that there would be misinformation about Tim Walz coming out. Know the facts before you open your big mouth. Remember, a lot of the misinformation is coming from international enemies. Don’t help them spread it.
There’s no chance of rain today, or any time in the near future. Morning temps will be almost chilly by Sunday. There’s really nothing earthshaking going on outside of the 7.1 rattler off the coast of Japan. The tsunami warning isn’t getting a lot of attention, though.
So, maybe we just have a nice, calm day. What do you think? Can we make that happen?
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